Cathay Pacific Airways has resumed Hong Kong-Kathmandu flights.
What you should know
Cathay Pacific Airways, which returned to Hong Kong after suddenly deciding to stop Nepal flights after the Kathmandu Gen-G movement, has resumed Hong Kong-Kathmandu flights. Cathay has decided to re-operate daily Nepal flights through a widebody aircraft with a capacity of around 310 passengers from October 1 (Osoz 22).
When Cathay suspended Nepal flights for 15 days, Nepalis and tourists from third destinations such as America, Australia, Japan, etc., who had bought nearly 9,000 tickets, were affected. When the flight to Cathay was cancelled, those passengers had to bear an additional financial burden. Some tourists who had already booked hotels in Nepal had canceled their trip this season.
According to a high-ranking source at Kathmandu Airport, Cathay decided to suspend Nepal flights for 15 days from August 30th (September 15th) after the protestors abused the crew members of Cathay Pacific Airways who were resting at the Hyatt Hotel on August 24th during the Gen-G movement. Cathay flew for 5 days with a spare pilot and cabin crew set on board due to overbooking during the Gen-G movement at the beginning of the tourism season in Nepal.
When prisoners/detainees who came out of prison went on a demonstration and hundreds of police weapons were looted, Cathay's headquarters decided to bring a spare set on the ship and keep the other set on the ship without keeping its employees in the hotel in Nepal as a 'security threat'.
Abit Shrestha, the Airport Operations Manager of Cathay's office at Kathmandu Airport, submitted a letter to the airport that 'based on the developments at that time, the flight had to be stopped for the time being'. After this incident, the umbrella organizations of tourism professionals in Nepal increased the pressure on the government to protect the business related to the tourism sector, stating that it is very sad that the airlines that bring tourists stop flying to Nepal at the beginning of the main season.
'Cathay's decision to resume flights to Nepal is very positive,' Deepakraj Joshi, CEO of Nepal Tourism Board told Kantipur, 'The airport was closed for two days during the Zen-G movement. Tourist traffic was affected by 40 percent. Cathay's suspension of flights to Nepal caused disappointment in Nepal's tourism market. Now our tourism market is returning to its old rhythm. The tourist traffic of 2-3 days in October has been seen to be positive around the previous year.
The private sector connected with travel and ticket business has expressed their happiness that Cathay has started flights to Nepal. "The resumption of Nepal flights by Cathay is very good news for passengers," said Shyamraj Thapaliya, Managing Director of Osho World Travel Nepal. Passengers have a choice. Airport, ground handling company, government They earn income from various taxes and other taxes while flying/landing ships.
Currently, 27 foreign airlines including Cathay fly internationally in Nepal. Apart from these, three airline companies of Nepal, Nepal Airlines Corporation, Himalaya Airlines and Buddha Air have also been flying internationally.
